


I Can't Believe You're Wheel

by nightberrypearl



Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Confessions, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, First Meetings, Hero Worship, Other, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:07:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightberrypearl/pseuds/nightberrypearl
Summary: A strange occurrence gives Minhyun the chance of the lifetime to talk to one of his greatest idols.





	I Can't Believe You're Wheel

**Author's Note:**

> If you saw this prompt in the prompt list, I bet you didn't think anyone would ever actually write this. But here we are. 
> 
> It's been years since I last saw any Transformers film so please forgive me for any characterisation issues and other inaccuracies...

If anyone asked Minhyun to name one person to which he would dedicate his greatest thanks, closely following after his parents would most likely be the one and only: Optimus Prime.

When he first stumbled across Optimus Prime, he was just a young boy on the brink of adolescence. At that age, of course the idea of ordinary looking cars turning into enormous fighting robots would seem like the coolest thing that he would ever see. Although, to be fair, even to this day the idea of enormous fighting robots disguised as cars is _still_ exceptionally cool. But at the time, it was pretty much the only thing he could think about.

He remembered how he would used to sit in front of the tv, endlessly, captivated by the sight of everyday cars, the kind he might see whilst wondering down the street, suddenly morphing into alien robots. It was embarrassing to admit, not that he would ever actually tell anyone, but as a young and unknowing child, sometimes he would carefully tap on the side of non-descript parked cars and whisper simple greetings to them, just in case it was a transformer in disguise. He had been absolutely mortified on one particular occasion when his older sister had found him sat on the ground next to an old red and blue truck in the midst of a riveting, but one-sided, conversation. It was a long time before his sister stopped teasing him about that one and an even longer time before he could stop inwardly cringing at his childhood self.

There wasn’t exactly a moment he could pin down, if he was asked, for when he realised that he had become so enamoured with The Transformers. He only knew that one moment, he was watching the first film for the first time, and then the next thing he knew, Transformers merchandise was the only thing on his Christmas list that year and for quite some years after. Before he could even realise it himself, he was wrapped up far too deeply into the Transformers.

But among all of the many Autobots and Decepticons, there was one that particularly stood out to him from the very start. Who else could it be but Optimus Prime?

Something about Optimus Prime just captivated him and snatched his attention right from the very beginning. Perhaps it was the charisma or his strong leadership that drew Minhyun to him first. Or maybe it was because, particularly when you’re young, the biggest things tend to be the most impressive, and so what else could get his attention more than a big and brightly coloured semi-truck that talked and could turn into an even bigger robot that fought off evil aliens and saved the planet. If that wasn’t cool to a 12-year-old boy, then nothing was.

His parents and many of the people around him who had witnessed his obsession had always assumed that it would just be a passing interest, a phase, but as he grew older he never wavered from his love for the Transformers and for a certain Optimus Prime. Of course, he didn’t talk about it as much anymore and everyone around him had assumed that he had moved on, but he never did. From the very first moment he set eyes on the Transformers there was a special place in his heart reserved just for Optimus Prime; a place that would remain reserved indefinitely.

While his Christmas lists slowly had less and less Transformers related items on them, he still ended up collecting smaller items and figurines here and there, and once he had grown enough for his head to fit one, he had bought an Optimus Prime mask that quickly became one of his most treasured possessions.

That same mask followed him for a long time. It came with him when he moved up to Seoul and it was one of the few items that remained a fixed constant in his room for many years.

It was that very mask which would turn out to be the cause of his current state of confusion.

* * *

 

Minhyun was sat in his room, scrolling through random articles on his phone as he lay in bed on one of his rare days off.

The room was silent except for the gentle humming of the air conditioner in the corner. But then, the silence was abruptly broken by a soft whisper.

 _“Hwang Minhyun.”_ The voice whispered, catching Minhyun completely off guard. In his mind, he registered that the voice sounded vaguely familiar but at the same time, he couldn’t quite place it.

Minhyun sat up, looking around his room for would could have been the source of the whisper, but there was no-one around and his door was firmly shut.

 _“Truly open your eyes and see me, Hwang Minhyun.”_ Came the mysterious, yet familiar, voice.

As Minhyun continued to trail his eyes carefully over every part of his room, the voice continued to speak.

“ _I’ve been here this whole time, you just have to find me.”_

Then it clicked. No wonder the voice was so familiar, he had heard it often enough as a child, and if he dare say so himself, he could do quite a good impression of it.

“O-Optimus Prime?” Minhyun called out tentatively, still not believing that it could actually be the robot in question.

“ _I always knew you were a bright child. Yes, it is me: Optimus Prime._ ” Came the disembodied voice of his, pretty much, lifelong idol.

Minhyun felt his palms begin to sweat with nerves as the idea that he was actually having a conversation with _The_ Optimus Prime began to settle into his mind.

“A-are you actually here? Is this real? Or is this just all in my head?” Minhyun questioned, scared that this was all just an elaborate dream.

“ _Just because it’s in your head doesn’t make it any less real._ ” Optimus Prime replied wisely, “ _But yes, my child, I am here. As I have always been._ ”

Minhyun gasped at the sudden revelation, and his heart began to race as his blinking got more rapid with the realisations that he was faced with.

“ _I’ve been watching you for many years, my child, ever since you took home that face mask which had been imbued with a part of my intelligence.”_ Optimus Prime explained carefully with a slight tinge of fondness in his deep, grumbly, voice.

Instantly, Minhyun’s eyes snapped across the room to the Optimus Prime mask that sat upon his shelf. Slowly, he padded across the room and reached out towards the mask. Before lifting it, he paused with his arms outstretched, giving Optimus Prime a chance to stop him if he wanted. But no such refusal came and so Minhyun tentatively pick up the mask to bring it closer to himself.

“So… it’s really you in this mask and talking to me now?” Minhyun asked with awe evident in his voice.

“ _That is correct._ ”

The mask remained immobile and inanimate as Optimus Prime spoke, but having the mask in his hands, it was now much more obvious that it was the source of the noise.

Carefully, Minhyun began to survey the mask, checking for some hidden speaker or similar, still unable to entirely convince himself that this wasn’t also some sort of ingenious prank.

“ _Do you not trust me, Hwang Minhyun? Do you really not trust my word that this is real?”_ Optimus Prime asked pointedly, making Minhyun instantly stop his inspection of the mask in his hands. _“I didn’t take you to be such a sceptic, Hwang Minhyun.”_ He continued, the slight disappointment and hurt evident in his tone.

“No!” Minhyun denied quickly and frantically, “Not at all, no. This is just a lot to take in. It’s not every day that I get the opportunity to speak with someone that I have looked up to for so many years. Please, forgive me for the scepticism.” He added apologetically, regretful that he had perhaps upset Optimus Prime.

“ _It’s quite alright, child.”_ Optimus Prime assured him.

Then there was a pause, neither of them saying anything more, letting the silence take over once again.

“If I could ask, why exactly are you talking to me now? It’s been years since I bought this mask, so why now? And how long are you able to stay here for?” Minhyun asked carefully.

“ _This is not a feat that I can always accomplish, sadly. While I am able to see and hear things through this mask at all times, it is much harder to project my voice through it and so, this may be the only time that we may be able to speak, and I may not even be able to stay for long.” The Autobot informed him rather regretfully._

Minhyun dipped his head in slight disappointment, but he understood. Truthfully, he was just grateful to have this opportunity at all, even if it was fleeting. He would have been happy with just a quick _“hello”._

“ _As I told you, I’ve been watching over you for many years and shall continue to do so for as long as you keep this mask in your possession._ ” Optimus Prime began, “ _I had always known that you were a child with potential; I could see the greatness in you Hwang Minhyun._ ”

Minhyun gaped at the sudden confession not knowing how to respond – _if_ he should respond.

“ _I’m glad that we can have this chance to talk – that I can have this chance to finally tell you what I have seen in you all along. Even when the whole world was deceived into believing that I was a mere fantasy, you had faith. Thank you, my child, for believing in me too._ ” Optimus Prime confessed sincerely. There was not a single tone in his voice that led Minhyun to believe that his words were anything but genuine and truthful.

“I-I don’t—” Minhyun floundered, his words failing him in that moment.

“ _It’s okay child, I understand._ ”

Because of course he did. Optimus Prime always understood. Optimus Prime said it himself, he had always been, and always will be, there for Minhyun.

“Thank you.” Minhyun whispered, his voice overcome with emotion. He would have wanted to properly articulate his own feelings at that point, but he couldn’t. He didn’t even know where to begin. Though he figured that anything he might have wanted to say, Optimus Prime already knew from having been by his side, watching, for so long. So, while all he said was an expression of his gratitude, he was sure that Optimus Prime knew what he really meant – what those two simple words really represented.

“ _It’s regretful that I can’t be here longer, and that this conversation must come to an untimely end now.”_

Minhyun nodded sadly, accepting the unfortunate reality of the situation.

“Goodbye.” Minhyun croaked out sadly.

“ _No_.” Optimus Prime denied suddenly, making Minhyun’s head snap up and tilt in confusion. “ _Not ‘goodbye’, but instead: ‘Until the next time’. This isn’t the end. There’s still hope that we shall meet again._ ”

A small smile wormed its way onto Minhyun’s lips as he felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears warm.

“Okay, until the next time then.” He agreed before Minhyun felt the air shift minutely around him and an aura that he hadn’t noticed until that point disappeared.

Then he was on his own once more.

Although… not really. That wasn’t exactly true.

Optimus Prime would always be with him. He had said so.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you have read this far, thank you so much for reading this random crack fic that I decided to write. Honestly, I don't expect people to read this, but if you have, thank you and I hope you've enjoyed it.
> 
> Of course, I'd like the thank the mods for this putting together this event. It's been great fun writing for this event, and I hope that everyone has enjoyed the fics they've read so far, and also the fics still to come. Seriously, big thanks to the mods.


End file.
